Couple Chooses Life Before it's Too Late

Another case of having to do very little to save a life occurred recently when a couple that was walking into an abortion facility for their scheduled abortion was approached by our own Rosanna. She gently talked to them about the free services we offered and they agreed to come with her on our sonogram bus where she would give them a free sonogram.

I had the chance to speak with them for a while and the biggest impression I got was they were simply relieved. Both the young parents, although not married, have stable jobs and don't see a child as an insurmountable burden. It was mostly just pressure from the woman's mother and worries about finishing school that the young parents panicked and scheduled the abortion. After talking with them for a while though, it seemed to them that the mother would come around eventually and that their child was worth the temporary hardship. The man especially had a firm sense of purpose and resolve as he told me his plan for being able to support and provide for his family.

Both left feeling happy we had stopped them from going in and started to get excited about the prospect of having a child. Somehow, I don't think they would look this happy (picture) if they had an abortion.

The 100% Effective Way to Avoid Pregnancy

Many times when sidewalk counseling the people that the counselor talks to exiting and entering the abortion facility are there for services other than abortion. There is plenty of opportunity however, to still spread a positive message about the truth of sexuality.

This picture on the left is one such instance. Of course, some people may say that they aren't getting an abortion when they actually are, but in this case I'm very confident because the couple was leaving the facility before the doctors had even arrived.

When the couple says that they aren't interested in getting an abortion or don't believe in them, I will explain to them that obtaining services from the abortion mill that aren't related to abortion is still supporting the facility. More importantly however, I will try to convey the message of chastity.

This may be surprising, but many people receive this message well. I'll start by asking what the best way to not get pregnant is - they'll reply to use some form of birth control. Wrong! The best way - and the only way that is 100% effective, is to abstain from sex. This is obvious, but I think some people are relieved to hear this - almost like a light bulb going off. "Oh yes, this is the correct answer." Of course there is no way of knowing whether or not the people will follow through, but at least someone is telling them the truth.

Even if there is only a Planned Parenthood nearby where they 'only' refer for abortions. I think that sidewalk counseling even at a place like that would be effective because of what I have just said - people need to know the truth of human sexuality.

Letter to Susan G. Komen

To Whom it may Concern:

 

My name is Gregory Webb and briefly - I would love to 'walk with you,' in good conscience I cannot however because of the funding of Planned Parenthood - which is the largest provider of abortions in America.

 

I hope the way they publicly humiliated you shows you their true colors. Abortions and hormonal contraceptives are both shown to increase the risk of breast cancer and if you don't believe me, time will make your organization look idiotic as the abortion/hormonal contraceptive machine fades to actual science.

 

Of course your cause is a great one and should be supported  - but let those who want to support abortion and contraception give money to Planned Parenthood, and those who want to support initiatives to end breast cancer give money to you. Period.

 

Sincerely,

 

Gregory Webb

EMC helps the needy!

With the tough economy adding to already difficult situations we are very happy to provide some material assistance to some of our former and current clients. Here are just a few pictures from some visits I made dropping a few things off! More stories about these heroic young families later!

Give Love a Chance - Baby Saved from Abortion

In a previous post I spoke about how this woman who you see smiling left the abortion mill thinking she would keep her baby, but it was only after she spoke to us that she was truly excited to keep her baby.

Her situation is quite difficult - although her boyfriend is a hard worker and wanted her to keep the baby from the beginning she was unsure and feeling quite negative. She currently lives in a shelter with her one year old son and was not planning on another child - to say the least.

She is a churchgoing woman and so she always had moral reservations about abortion, but as we spoke she realized that her morals were in fact more important than any sort of plan that she may have had, and that even though plans must be adjusted, life does not end.

While she was getting our ultrasound on our mini-bus she became overjoyed. She took pictures of the 16 week   baby and immediately sent them to her boyfriend. Her boyfriend, who I had the chance to talk to on the phone, was also excited. We probably spoke for about 45 minutes, exchanged contacts, and promised to keep in touch.

The most memorable moment for me however was when, without any sort of prying she told me that she was, "Gonna give love a chance," which was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard from a woman in such a situation.

Many times people will ask me what sort of things I say to the (abortion minded) women - well once you've become acquainted with a few life-choosers, they'll often provide you with the perfect thing to say to others.

Abortion Clinic Loses Client to Pro-Lifers

A very special type of save happened recently at Dr. Emily when I noticed a girl leaving the clinic. Luckily it was at a time of day when I realized she probably did not have an abortion.

She did, however, have an appointment for one. By the time she came out however, she was pretty sure she did not want one.

This is why any sort of pro-life presence and outreach (where women are reasonably approached) is so important at the abortion mills - I didn't necessarily have to convince her to keep her baby in this case, I just had to confirm her in her decision to keep.

I think that it is often assumed by pro-lifers and pro-choicers that every single woman walking into a clinic is completely decided on what they are going to do - this is not true. Many women will leave on there own (likely with the help of other peoples' prayers), but then what do they do?

So instead of leaving alone and still uncertain, the fact I was able to talk to her, offer her an ultrasound (she was 16 weeks!), and commit to continuing support, allowed her to leave very happy and positive. I believe anyone can do what I did as long as they have a little knowledge about their local pro-life crises pregnancy center.

Of course there is some developed craft in learning how to approach women and talk to them, but people need to realize that many want to be talked to - especially in places like New York City where abortion is so easy to obtain that many do not thoroughly consider all of the options before making a decision.

I will write more about our specific conversation and how truly heroic this young woman is in a later post, I just wanted for this post to make clear that sidewalk counseling isn't necessarily as adversarial as some think, and to encourage others to think about making to the abortion clinic in a peaceful and prayerful presence.

Forty days for life is coming up - why not come us and help us out at Dr. Emily?

Sonogram Bus and Choosing Life

Few things surprise me at the abortion clinic anymore because I have been there so often, however this recent story was certainly exciting.

Dr. Emily abortion facility has two driveways leading to the back parking lot but they still love to call the police whenever we 'block' one of the entrances - which is usually one of us standing on the sidewalk and talking to one of their potential victims while not blocking any vehicle's or pedestrian's entry.

This particular day I was speaking to a girl on the bus who had been destined for an abortion. The bus was microscopically overlapping their man-made yellow line which shows where the driveway 'begins.' Everything was going well until a police officer asked me to move the bus - I begged for just 15 minutes and I could tell he realized how ridiculous his request was since anybody could see that the driveway was not being blocked and anyone could get either in or out. However, I had to improvise and move the bus.

The girl I was with was very understanding and agreed to actually stay on the bus while I moved it! I eventually found a spot in a White Castle parking lot and continued to counsel, console, and comfort her.

She ended up getting her sonogram and after we were done talking she was determined to keep her baby. Amazing! Thank God for this girl's patience and willingness to trust me, because this was one crazy situation.

Greedy Abortion Facilities

Sometimes I'm grateful for the greediness that prevails in the abortion industry and especially at Dr. Emily Clinic in the Bronx.

If that sounds outrageous, just hang with me. You see many of my saves personally have begun by the abortion clinic's refusal to commit an abortion due to a woman's inability to pay - their insurance doesn't work there. Of course, if abortion really was a medical necessity the provider would be compelled to perform it - but since it is not, they can simply say 'no' and send the girls home - or rather - to me.

And I'm glad to be waiting outside the clinic equipped to offer free help to any woman with the backing of EMC, and many women fortunately gladly accept this. I've seen their frustration at the refusal of the clinic turned to joy when they choose life with us, I've seen this refusal understood to be a sign that maybe they should keep their baby, and I've also seen this make the most determined and hardest hearts crack and decide to listen to what we have to say.

For all of this I'm grateful that the abortion industry is as greedy as it is.

Continue the Presence

So the 40 Days for Life campaign has officially ended but I want to urge people from around the country to continue the presence!

This year we were able to coordinate vigils complete with candles and peaceful prayer and it really was a blessing for me to participate in each one. God knows this prayerful effort when the abortion mill is closed can work wonders for the women inside when it is open - I have seen it, it's that intangible thing that can make a woman choose life when nothing else extraordinary is done.

I want to thank EMC for organizing the events here in New York and all the wonderful people who participated. Lets increase the amount of people for next the 40 days campaign and hope that many will come out even during the "off season!"

Happy Turnaround Comes to See Us

Sometimes EMC is so blessed as to have a turnaround come back to visit us. This was such the case when a very special turnaround came back to see us, albeit at an unfortunate location - we were at an abortion clinic, but then again, at least she knew where to find us.

The details of her case are too sensitive to disclose but it will be enough to suffice that she was in a very difficult situation and where she was living was unacceptable. So we contacted another great pro-life organization that runs a network of maternity homes, Good Counsel Homes, and we were able to place her there with some help from us.

By no means is her life perfect now, but she was very happy to see us on her free time one Saturday morning and we were able to catch up some on her life. Moments like these make me very happy to be a part of EMC and working for the pro-life cause full-time.

Great Day at Dr. Emily

On a recent day at Dr. Emily abortion clinic we had five people going into an abortion clinic change their mind and chose life!

Some of the stories I have already written about and some I will write later but I think one of the most striking examples of the beautiful decision to choose life is this picture I was able to take of one of the turnarounds.

In it are two of our sidewalk counselors, Jowell and Chiara, as well as the pregnant woman and some members of her family.

Look at how happy everyone is to choose life! This is just one of the many turnarounds we get each week at an abortion clinic and is a great example of the relief many women have once they move past the decision to abort and look to real solutions that would work for both them and their baby.

We at EMC live for moments like these and can't see how anyone can object - no matter if they think abortion is okay or not. God bless EMC and I pray the work we do will continue until no woman in New York even considers abortion.

"I know I should love my baby"

On one of the most successful days I can remember recently at Dr. Emily abortion clinic I met a young girl who knew she was pregnant. While I wouldn't quite say she was dead-set on an abortion, she was definately walking into the clinic and probably could have been convinced that an abortion was best for her considering her situation.

Luckily I got to her first.

She was still in high school with a year left to go before graduation but did have a supportive boyfriend and family. She wasn't sure how far along she was but our ultrasound determined she was about nine weeks. She heard the heartbeat, and whatever I had done to encourage her in keeping the baby before that moment was fortified by that sound.

The moment I will never forget was when I asked her if she thought there was a right thing and a wrong thing to do going forward. After she replied in the affirmative I asked her what the right thing to do was and she gave the best answer I have ever heard, "I know I should love my baby."

I will keep in contact with this girl to make sure I can do whatever I can to help her with her baby.

Another Saved from an Abortion Clinic

It was already getting late in the day when my friend and colleage Rosanna told this young woman about all the services we offer at no cost. This young woman happily chose us over the abortion clinic she was going to for a pregnancy test.

You see at many clinics, the atmosphere and innuendo of the clinic can persuade a woman who just finds out she is pregnant into having an abortion - even if they aren't overtly pressured (which they sometimes are).

This woman is an example of such a case - perhaps she would have taken the results of the test home and never thought about an abortion - but perhaps not. We don't like to take any chances. Also this was a great opportunity to share the message of chastity and marriage with someone who definately would not have heard such a message otherwise.

Overall, I am grateful to work for EMC not such for the chance to help mothers who are definately abortion bound, but also just help share the truth of human sexuality with those that might not be so dead-set on an abortion. Indeed many times it is a great relief to help a woman who was never considering an abortion, like this one may have been.

EMC in Harlem

Recently I had the chance to attend a conference in Harlem.

New York City is attempting to implement an egregiously pro-contraception school curriculum. In it, middle school and high school students are recommended to attend abortion clinics and ask about their services and go to the pharmacy to catalog different types of condoms.

As a result there was a small conference intended to inform local pro-life leaders and help them to get out the word to their contributors, parishoners, or church-goers. Some of the key attendees were Dr. Alveda King, Reverend Faulkner, Reverend Clenard Childress, and of course our very own Christopher Slattery.

Lets let parents know how bad the new school sex-ed curricula will be!

40 days for life is ongoing!

All around the country for 40 days for life people are organizing in peaceful prayer. We at EMC are the organizers of this event in New York City and would love you to join us.

Contact us by email or phone or just come out and pray.

Perhaps the easiest time for you to come may be during the evening - we will be in the Bronx on Wednesdays at Dr. Emily's and Queens on Thursdays on Roosevelt Avenue. We'd be happy to have you - contact us for more information.

Dr. Emily's - A strange place

One of the most unexpected interesting things about sidewalk counseling is all of the interesting people you get to meet.

One of the more outlandish woman I met was a person escorting her friend for an abortion. She had come outside for one reason or another and we struck up a conversation.

Of course I believe that demons are actively involved at Dr. Emily's, but very rarely does a woman openly confess to me that she is a lesbian in her fifties and had even experimented with eccentric pagan practices like wearing a goat's head. Yes, a goat's head.

Of course nothing really surprises me, like the man who went on a 15 minute rant on how our political and economic system is the reason for all of societal ills. When I mentioned that in my opinion human freedom had something to do with it - he replied that one needs only to look at Cuba to find utopia. Right, Cuba.

Sometimes a little levity can go a long way, and I am grateful that doing my very serious job I have the opportunity to have conversations and meet people of all different flavors.

JOY TURNS SORROWFUL: A SAVE LOSES HER BABY

Many people read the post I had written recently about one of the most sensational experiences at an abortion clinic I ever had: there was a rush to the emergency room, a barely conscious woman, and what was a happy ending.

However, tragically, this woman ended up losing her baby. The baby had caught an infection which is one of the major risks of of removing the laminaria sticks and keeping the baby. Of course, in many instances the baby will be okay, but unfortunately this was not the case.

When Jowell saw the woman who had just delivered her deceased baby, neither could hold back the tears. The woman even requested to hold her baby, and was allowed to do so. Even though the sorrow was great, she had a peace about her decision to keep amidst a tumultuous pregnancy.

As I reflect and pray about this story I can't help but think that even though this story ended in tragedy, at least it ended with a mother holding her baby, and that makes it worth all the effort in the world.

40 Days for Life - Be a Part of the Witness

We have started a new 40 Days for Life campaign and I am very excited. This year we've decided to include a vigil from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at abortion facilities in the Bronx and Queens.

Praying at abortion facilities is nothing new to me, but I had an exceptional experience at Dr. Emily abortion facility in the South Bronx at our candle-lit vigil, praying as the sun went down. Something about being there when the clinic is closed changes the perspective, and allows the individual an opportunity to focus on the witness and prayer aspect of the ministry.

Along with only a handful of people, we prayed continuously all four Mysteries of the rosary, and were only interrupted briefly by rainfall that lasted only one or two minutes, during the period of time that we were meditating on the Crucifixion (go figure).

I am grateful for this experience because it has really rejuvinated me - hopefully next time however we get more folks out!

The Sonogram Bus: A Fantastic Tool

At EMC, use of our sonogram bus has afforded us with the opportunity to help dozens, even hundreds, of women see the reality of their pregnancy. It is well known in the pro-life world the value of this indispensable tool but I think there is another reason why our sonogram bus is so effective on the sidewalk.

See, most people think that in order to be a successful sidewalk counselor one has to be able to change a woman's mind right then and there in front of the clinic, while that is certainly great it is not the only technique to use on the sidewalk. With the bus available, really all we have to do is have the woman agree to delay her decision, perhaps for just fifteen minutes, while we give her the chance to get a free sonogram - what does she have to lose!


Of course then a conversation inevitably arises, she is able to hear her baby's heartbeat, and maybe even see him or her move - all in the shelter of our bus.

Other advantages of the bus are mobility and privacy. Having it has, in my opinion, saved the lives of many, many babies and helped many, many women that otherwise would have had an abortion.

ABORTION CLINIC KICKS OUT GIRL UNABLE TO WALK AFTER PROCEDURE

My friend and fellow counselor Jowell had struck up a conversation with a girl's mother as the girl was in the clinic. Apparently, the girl was currently undergoing the first day of a two day procedure - the insertion of laminaria sticks into the cervix in order that the cervix would be dilated enough to commit the late term abortion the next day.

Fortunately, Jowell had convinced the mother that this was not the best thing for her daughter - but was it too late?

Maybe an hour after that we were all shocked as the girl collapsed in the doorway of the clinic as she was leaving. She was clearly in bad shape and in a lot of pain. A friend of hers picked up a baby out of a stroller and actually used it as a make-shift wheelchair. In all the astonishment, the girl expressed her desire to change her mind, and with her family's support we were ready to do whatever was needed to help the woman and save her baby.

I contacted a trusted pro-life doctor on the best course of action. Because she was in obvious pain we needed to get her to an ER. In New York, we are never sure how willing an ER doctor would be to remove the laminaria sticks and do whatever is necessary to save the life of the child (many girls, I'm aware, are told that once the sticks are in place it is too late to change their mind - this is a lie).

While simultaneously trying to deal with another crazy situation (of which I will blog about later), I drove the girl and her family to the ER, letting them know that they had to make it very clear to the doctors that they should do whatever needs to be done to save the baby. Jowell stayed with them as a friend and counselor and because he speaks Spanish.

And would you believe later that day the doctors could in fact remove the laminaria sticks and overnight the pregnant woman's cervix closed and the baby is healthy! The other part of the story - the woman's inability to walk was apparently due to a bad reaction to pain killers and the enormous pain she was in. It was a very long day for us at EMC, but entirely worth it.

This has been one of the most exciting saves at an abortion clinic I've ever had the privilege to witness and be a part of. We will keep in contact with the girl, helping her along the way, and I will keep readers of this blog updated.